Presentation given by Tom Ronning, Municipality of Odense, Denmark at a FEANTSA seminar on "Strategies to end homelessness: Elements of conflict and cooperation at local level", hosted by the Committee of the Regions, June 2008

1. The Social Centre

2. National survey of homelessness
in Denmark
Main results
Approximately 5000 people are homeless according to
Scandinavian definition of homelessness (Used for this
survey).
Homelessness is particularly concentrated in
Copenhagen and surrounding municipalities.
25% of all homeless people are under 30 years.
The same level of homelessness as in Norway, slightly
lower in Sweden.
Many homeless people are depended on alcohol,
cannabis, drugs and medicines, and several of them
have mental and physical health problems in addition
to lacking a home

3. Odense Municipality
Odense municipality has 187.000 inhabitants.
According the national homeless survey is 1% of the
inhabitants in the municipality is homeless.
According to the national survey is only one person homeless
due to housing shortage in Odense.

4. National survey of homelessness
in Denmark
Results for Odense.
Housing situation Persons
Living on the street 25
Living in a hostel 95
Living by friend/family 37
Living in temporary training house 12
In jail 7
Other 2
Unknown 9
Total 187

5. The Social Centre
Odense Municipality has among many services for
homeless:
Public housing and hostels.
Offers for battered women.
Drop-in-centre for homeless people
Social housing prescription.

6. Homeless hostels
The municipalities have full authority, supply and financing
in the social field, including responsibility for the homeless
hostels after social law.
Homeless hostels are funded by the municipalities.
The state refinance 50% of municipal expenditure on
homeless hostels.
Hostels have self enrolment.
Self enrolment means that a person is free to turn to any
homeless hostel without a municipal visitation
(nationwide).

7. Homeless hostels
People - who hit the long homelessness - have the right to
have an action plan developed.
The plan will pave the way for a coordinated response to
homelessness.
Homeless hostels are calculated on the temporary stay,
without a proper limit for the length of stay.
During the stay prepared for the establishment of their own
permanent housing, work / education, economy, etc..
The homeless people are helped to moving in their own
homes, building networks and work.

8. Homeless hostels
The municipality, where the homeless hostel is situated, has
the obligation to act (acting oblication).
This means to develop action plan, ensure moving and
relocation in their own homes (this is only possible in the
acting municipality).
The municipality, where the person lived in before getting
homeless, is the paying municipality. So the former
municipality must pay for stays in homeless hostel and other
measures done by the acting municipality.

9. Not Danish citizens
EU citizens have the right to stay as tourists in another EU
country for 3 months and as a job in 6 months, provided
that they can support themselves and that they are not to
burden the host country. This group can only provide
assistance in connection with the return according law.
Persons who do not reside legally in Denmark, will have the
right to the assistance that can not wait to get home again.
This applies, for example. emergency care, etc..

10. Target group for hostels
Offers of residence in hostel are temporary housing.
For visitation is needed,
That the person has legal residence in this country,
That the person is covered by the target audience for the
offer.
The target audience for Hostels etc. under social law are:
"people with special social problems who do not or can not
stay in their own homes, and who needs hostel and offer
active support, care and subsequently help."
It is Hostels leader, who make the final visitation to the
hostel and deciding who are belonging to the target
audience.

11. Is there enough housing support in Odense ?
Hostels have self enrolment nationwide, and all the studies
indicate that there is no shortage of places nationwide.
Odense Municipality has enough apartments/homes, but
the homeless people have often so many personal
problems that it is difficult for them, to live in their own
apartment/home.
Odense Municipality is constantly working for developing
permanent housing solutions especially for the homeless for
example: Special houses for special people, support for
citizens in their own homes, special staircase communities,
outgoing social workers, drop-in-centre in residential areas,
special old-folks home, etc.